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SONNERAT, Pierre.
Voyage aux Indies Orientales et a Chine, fait par ordre du Roi, depuis 1774 jusqu'en 1781...
Illustrated first edition of this abundant description of customs, sciences, and religions in India, China, as far as the islands of southern Africa, the Maldives, the Philippines, the Moluccas... The first volume is devoted to rites and costumes of the Indians, while the second volume describes with precision the fauna and the flora: presenting for the first time nearly thirty species of birds, this work brought, among other progress, an essential contribution to the study of ornithology in China.
- Published
- Paris: Froule, 1782.
- References
- Hill 578, Bobins 309.
- Plates
- 140
- Binding/Size
- M=4to
- Value
- 25001-100000
- Published
- Paris: Froule, 1782.
- Ref
- 5052
[Voyage to the Eastern Indies and to China, made by order of the King, from 1774 to 1781...] FIRST EDITION. 2 vols, quarto, large paper copy (29 x 22cm), subscribers list, xv, 317, viii, 298pp, 140 beautiful hand-coloured aquatint plates, some with light offsetting. Contemporary green calf gilt, gilt in rule to boards, spine in compartments, light wear, a good copy. Sonnerat was the son of the French Intendant of Mauritius. Before this voyage, he had been on an expedition to the Philippines, and the Moluccas, an account of which was published in 1776. Sonnerat visited the Maldives, Ceylon, China, Burma, Madagascar, and the Cape of Good Hope on his second expedition. This work is a celebrated classic of natural history, exploration, and discoveries of the Far East. Poisson engraves the beautiful plates after drawings by the author. It is extremely rare to find hand-coloured examples of this beautiful work. Coloured plates in order: Volume 1. 1. Plan de Pondichery. 2. [not captioned] Temple. 3-4. Indien de la secte de Chiven. 5-6. [not captioned] Females at their daily toilet. 7. [not captioned] Man pulled in a carriage by bullocks. 8. [not captioned] Man of wealth carried in a litter. Servants. 9. [not captioned] Music and female dancers. 10. Gourou parlant a ses Disciples. 11-12. Brame de la secte de Vichenou. 13. [not captioned] Wealthy couple carried in a litter. Musicians etc. 14. [not captioned] Deadman upon his funeral pyre. 15. [not captioned] Ceremony after funeral pyre has been lit. 16-17. Instrumens des Indiens. 18. Charpentier. 19. [not captioned] Tradesman with a saw, working with wood. 20-21. [not captioned] Tradesmen working with hot metal and hammers. 22. [not captioned] Tradesman - Weaver. 23. [not captioned] Men lowering a bucket deep down into the ground. 24. [not captioned] Two men drawing water from a hole in the ground. 25. [not captioned] Men and Ox working together to grind wheat into flour. 26. [not captioned] Tradesman - Cotton spinner. 27. Table oun Alphabet de la Langue Tamoule. 28. [not captioned] Man writing on a piece of papyrus. 29-30. [not captioned] Set of assorted figures containing ancient writings and symbols. 31-36. [not captioned] Various Gods and Deities, including Brahma, Vichenou, etc. 37. Moudevi. Deesse de la Discorde et de la Misere. 38-44. [not captioned] Various Gods and Deities. 45. 9th incarnation de Vichenou. 46-52. [not captioned] Various Gods and Deities. 53. Chiven. Moitre Homme et moilie Femme. 54. [not captioned] Sacred Vessel. 55-56. [not captioned] Various Gods and Deities. 57. Vairevert. 58. [not captioned] A God and Deity. 59. [not captioned] Sacred Bull set on a plinth within a temple. 60. [not captioned] A God and Deity. 61. Temple ou Pagode des Gentiles de la cote de Coromandel. 62. [not captioned] A temple. 63. [not captioned] Festival with music and dancing. Many people are pulling a Deity on a carriage. 64. [not captioned] Females praying to the sun. 65. [not captioned] Wealthy man on horseback, transported by slaves or servants. 66. [not captioned] Man being swung around, in the air, whilst brandishing a scimitar sword above a group of anxious onlookers. 67. [not captioned] Religious ceremony, walking over hot coals, etc. 68-72. not captioned] Religious Indian men observing some religious customs. 73-76. [not captioned] Religious Indian men observing religious customs with various musical instruments etc. 77. [not captioned] A religious ceremony. 78. [not captioned] A couple observing a custom or ceremony. 79. [not captioned] An Indian man with an armful of Peacock feathers. 80. [not captioned] Female (Deity?) lying on a huge Lily-pad... Volume 2. 81 Vue de la Ville de Canton. 82. [not captioned] Wealthy Chinese man being carried in a sedan chair, surrounded by a large retinue. 83. [not captioned] Chinese festival or ceremony. 84. [not captioned] Hottentots. 85. [not captioned] A Hottentot couple with child. 86. [not captioned] Le Aye-aye. 87. [not captioned] Le grand Ecureuil de la cote de Malabar. 88. [not captioned] A Maquis. 89. [not captioned] 90. Le Chat Sauvage a bandes noires des Indes. 91. La Civette de Malacca. 92. Le Zenik des Hottentots. 93. Le petit Tandrek de Madagascar. 94. [not captioned] Le Coq. 95. [not captioned] La Poule sauvages. 96. La Gelinote des Indes. 97. Le Francolin de l'Ile de France. 98. La grande Caille de Madagascar. 99. Le petit Paon de Malacca. 100. Le Rouloul de Malacca. 101. [not captioned] 102. La Tourterelle grise de ka Chine. 103. L'Autour gris a ventre raye de Madagascar. 104. Le Vatour royal de Pondichery. 105. Le grand Vautour des Indes. 106. La Pie rousse de la Chine. 107. Le petit Geay de la Chine. 108. Le Mele bleu de la Chine. 109. Le petit Merle huppe des Indes. 110. La Breve de Malacca. 111. Le grand Gobe-mouches de la cote de Malabar. 112. Le Nelicourvi de Madagascar. 113. L'Alouette huppe de la cote de Makabar. 114. La Mesange de la cote de Malabar / La petite Alouette grise de Gingi. 115. La Mesange de Nanquin. 116. Le Grimpereau verd du Cap de Bonne-Esperance / Le Grimpereau de Makacca. 117. Le Grimpereau a dos rouge de la Chine / Le Grimpereau sifleur de la Chine / Le Grimpereau gris de la Chine. 118. Le Martin-Pecheur violet des Indes. 119. Le Guepier jaune de la cote de Coromandel. 120. Le Calcao de Gingi. 121. Le Calcao de la cote de Malabar. 122. Le Bec-ouvert blanc des Indes. 123. Spondias Cytherea. 124-126. Ravenala Madagascariensis. 127. Ravensara Aromatica. 128. Cadamba Jasmini-flora. 129. Litchi Chiensis. 130. Cookia Punctata. 131. Uvaria Longifolia. 132. Sterculia Foetida. 133. Bombax gossipium. 134. Tambourissa Quadrifida. 135. Banisteria Tetraptera. 136. Amomum Repens. 137. Amomum Angustifolium. 138. Grewia Asiatica. 139. Marsana Buxifolia. 140. Cristaria Coccinea.